Arizona Off-Road Trails

96 Ranch Middle Mountain Crosscut begins at the Highway 79 powerline trail intersection.  The trail is a journey into the lush desert of the old 96 Ranch.  Initially a wide dirt trail, it becomes rocky and narrow with encroaching brush as you crosscut through Middle Mountain.  The saddle provides great views of distant Mount Lemon. Many connecting trails in this area can provide a full day of exploring and camping opportunities.

Most of the trail is 2WD friendly.  The most difficult section of trail is a sandy wash exit on the eastern end of the trail that may require 4WD.

The only campsite along this trail is at the very eastern end. This spot can accommodate multiple vehicles and has a large fire ring.

This is Arizona State Trust land and requires a permit.

Apache Pass is the foundation for every old western stagecoach movie you've ever seen. The pass separates the rugged Chiricahua Mountains to the south and the nearly impenetrable Dos Cabezas to the north. In the early 1800s, it was a critical route for expansion into California and became the most dangerous and difficult section of the Butterfield Overland Stage Route, which carried mail and passengers between St Louis and San Francisco. It also passed through the middle of the Apache Nation.

Today, the washboard graded dirt road hosts a hiking trailhead with informational signage and a 1.5-mile trail to explore historic Fort Bowie. The trailhead also has vault toilets and a shaded picnic table. The mountain views along the trail are vast. The trail's western end drops into a grassy valley bordered by cattle ranches. Low spots along the trail get slick and rutted after heavy rains.

Two campsites are west of the hiking trailhead, one roadside and another at the end of a short northern spur trail.

Rocky Gulch Ridge offers expansive alpine meadows, called parks by the locals, old-growth ponderosa pines, alligator juniper (the oldest tree species in Arizona), and quiet serenity to those who traverse its 8 miles of beauty. Cattle graze roadside and sometimes right in your camp. It isn't unusual to see a turkey, elk cow and calf, or a few mule deer run across the road in front of you. The trail gently drops in elevation when driven southwesterly. The vegetation changes slowly as pines get smaller, juniper appears, century plants bloom, views open southward, and Apache Maid Mountain suddenly looms ahead.

Telephone Ridge, or FR 139A, runs north along the spine of the ridge of the same name. It splits off of Dick Hart Ridge, the two ridges and roads separated by the green and grassy Houston Draw. While never exceedingly wide, at points, the ridgeline becomes very narrow. As you drive, you can look down the steep side slopes into Houston Draw on the east and the deep drainage of Bear Canyon on the west. The view gives you a definite appreciation for the ruggedness of this amazing land. Hiking is a favorite activity atop the Mogollon Rim. The Cabin Loop is one of Arizona’s premier backpacking routes. Telephone Ridge crosses two of the five hiking trails that make up the Cabin Loop. Near the trailhead, the Houston Brothers Trail crosses on its way south to the Mogollon Rim. Further up the road, the Fred Haught Trail cuts across the track on its way to both the Fred Haught Cabin and the General Springs Cabin. Telephone Ridge ends at the start of the Rock Crossing Trail. This rugged hiking trail goes north to the beautiful Blue Ridge Reservoir.

Imagine a small lake with geese, ducks, and coots.  Heron wade in the shallows spearing small fish and frogs.  Osprey dive into the water catching tonight’s fish dinner.  It doesn’t sound like Arizona, does it?  Reed-lined JD Dam Lake seems out of place amid the tall pines of the Kaibab National Forest.  The lake has a parking lot and vault toilet for anglers and surprised visitors.

The road is easy, graded dirt with gravel mixed in.  While camping isn’t allowed at the lake, there are four small campsites nearby.

The Superstition Sideburn Trail provides off-road enthusiasts access to a wide network of trails. This trail intersects with the popular Superstition Loop Trail in two different places. Once about halfway through and again at the north end of the trail. Primarily packed dirt with loose rock, this trail can be run in 2WD in a higher clearance vehicle.

Like other trails, there is a large camping spot at the Peralta Road intersection. These spots are frequently used by folks boondocking. Treat yourself to less road noise and better views of the mountains with a dispersed site further along the trail.

This is Arizona State Trust Land. A recreational permit is required.

The northern portion of the Puerto Blanco scenic loop begins just west of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument visitor center. The road is well-maintained gravel for the first 5 miles, with paved sections where erosion once required constant maintenance. This section allows two-way traffic and ends at a picnic area with a vault toilet. The remainder of the trail is narrow, rough dirt, and one-way counterclockwise. The last two miles of the trail are very sandy. The trail ends at the intersection of Pozo Nuevo Road and Puerto Blanco Road (South).

The rugged Puerto Blanco Mountains provide a backdrop to massive forests of saguaro and clusters of rare organ pipe cacti. Chain fruit cholla, ocotillo, palo verde, ironwood, and creosote bush finish out the iconic Sonoran Desert landscape. There are numerous hiking trailheads spread along the trail. The track also passes several closed mines. Informational signage with pullouts is scattered along the trail.

There is no camping on the trail. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has two campgrounds. Commercial campgrounds are available in Ajo and Why. Fuel is available in Why and nearby Lukeville.

This area is very close to the Mexican border. Smuggling and human trafficking activities are common. Be vigilant when visiting this area.

Portland Mine Road travels nearly 25 miles through the Black Mountains. It is a straight-through trail connecting Cottonwood Cove Road and Katherine Landing, creating an all-dirt route from Dolan Springs to Bullhead City. Different maps label this road with names such as Jones Road or Lost Cabin Wash Road.

The trail is multiple vehicles wide and traverses in or across many coarse, sandy desert washes. The northern portion of the road, until reaching Jeep Cove, is a well-maintained, relatively smooth BLM road. South of this point, the road transitions to a Lake Mead National Recreation road and becomes extremely rough, loose, exposed rocks up to grapefruit and football-sized. The road surface hardens a bit but also presents long sections of washboard. Heavy rains can easily damage the road, but it is generally repaired quickly by NPS staff, BLM staff, or cattle ranchers who often use the road. The road can be traveled in either direction, but users should be aware that beginning the road from the south requires passing through an NPS Entrance Station, which requires a pass. Traveling the road from north to south does not require a pass.

Portland Mine Road provides scenic views of the Black Mountains, Spirit Mountains, and desert vegetation such as Spanish Dagger. The road also travels past its namesake large open pit of the 1920s gold mine.

Although there are many open desert areas along the road to camp on, far better campsites are found along intersecting roads such as Jeep Cove and Cottonwood Cove Road.

This road can be extremely rough and bumpy, but it is still suitable for any high clearance vehicle and can easily be traveled in 2WD during dry conditions. Due to the remoteness and harsh terrain, 4WD and rugged offroad tires are highly recommended. Airing down, although not necessary, greatly improves the ride quality.

FR1847 begins at the intersection of FR403 and MT1854.  There is a large staging area and information board here as well. The initial section of this trail is a main access road to the Lower Sycamore Creek area. It then branches off and becomes a more narrow dirt trail. 1847 provides access to trails MT1848 and P1007, both of which will take you down to the creek bed.  There are multiple camping locations along this trail.  Some can accommodate multiple vehicles, while others are smaller. These all provide nice views of the Sycamore Creek valley below and Four Peaks to the east.

The trail's official end occurs at trail marker 1872 on the right and the end of the GPX track. 1847 past this point is for “Administrative Use Only" on the new travel management plan.

Kendrick Park Road connects US-180 to US-89 and features very nice dispersed campsites along the road, excellent peak views, and direct access to the AZT. The campsites are on two tracks along the road and won't be accessible to RV's.

Trail 1832 is a great place to get to know your new off-road vehicle. The trail is a hard-pack dirt trail that will work your suspension 1832 through large puddle holes and moguls. Many people will use this trail to make their way from the Palo Fiero staging area to connect with Trail 13, a main cross trail. 1832 is a highly used trail by Jeeps, trucks, SxS, UTVs, dirt bikes, and four-wheelers. Be ready for oncoming traffic, as the UTV rental groups use this trail as part of a loop from the Four Peaks staging area on weekends. A couple of campsites right along the trail have nice views of Four Peaks.

Please note that an OHV permit is now required on this trail.

Lower Home Court is the first half of the Home Court trail and utilizes the bailout before the non-optional waterfall. The trail starts on State Trust Land and travels down a steep and rough road, passing through fields of cholla cactus before entering a wide, sandy, and boulder-strung wash. Lower Home Court slowly moves up the canyon, offering drivers many optional rock obstacles with easy to complex lines. Several of the obstacles push your vehicle through narrow rock carvings or v-notches, where one tire will travel higher than the other side, flexing out suspensions and tipping vehicles into uncomfortable situations. Traction is superb on the rocks in this canyon, and most of the obstacles have well-planted rocks that do not move much. Any high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle would be suitable for this trail, but undercarriage damage is possible due to the rocky terrain.

The bailout takes you through BLM land and back to the main road you came in on. Upper Home Court continues in the wash, traversing several larger obstacles with no bypasses.

Bunker Ridge runs between Secret Mountain Trail and Casner Mountain Trail. It ends on the south end just north of the Casner Mountain gate. The 2021 Rafael and 2009 Taylor wildfires affected the area along this trail, which resulted in large open areas with potential water washouts. The trail is mostly made of packed dirt with sections of rock. After storms, large mud puddles may be present. This area is a great place to explore within the Coconino National Forest.

There are no established campsites along this trail, and it mainly follows the powerlines.

The Desert to Tall Pines Scenic Byway begins near the southern end of Roosevelt Lake with its many saguaro cacti, passes through the remote hamlet of Young, and ends atop the Mogollon Rim with old-growth Ponderosa pines. The byway has short paved sections at each end and the middle section through Pleasant Valley and Young. The remainder of the trail is dirt road. Young is the only significant city in Arizona that must be accessed by a dirt road. Young is famous for the 10-year Pleasant Valley War between the feuding Tewksbury and Graham ranch families. The feud resulted in nearly 50 deaths and is said to have delayed Arizona's bid for statehood by several years.

This Scout Route describes the dirt section north of Young. The wide dirt trail climbs steadily out of Plesant Valley. The pines grow taller with additional elevation and decreased temperatures. Any curve in the trail may present the paradox of meeting an 18-wheeler delivering supplies to Young via a dirt road. Spur trails shoot off into the Tonto National Forest and beg for exploration.

Several dispersed campsites are along the road. The best camping is at the free Colcord Ridge Campground, where the dirt meets pavement again on the northern end. Young has fuel, groceries, and the well-regarded Antlers Cafe.

East Boundary takes you further into the remote area of the old 96 Ranch. There are many great camp spots on this trail's east and west ends. Most can accommodate multiple vehicles. The middle section of trail is narrow, and you may question if you are on the right path as you add to your collection of Arizona pinstripes.

There are multiple wildlife water catchment facilities in this area. Ensure your camp spot is at least 1/4 mile from them.

The trail runs through Arizona State Trust Land. A recreation permit is required.

MT1851 is a connector route between FR 402 and Sycamore Creek. Additional trails branch off from MT1851 and provide a large area to explore. This trail is primarily dirt/rocks on the Eastern end, which later transitions to sand. Following the GPX track from east to west takes you down a steep rockface hill. This is shown in the “Hardest Part” picture.

Several campsites with rock fire rings can accommodate multiple vehicles.

Superstition Crosscut Pass begins off Peralta Road and ends on Superstition Loop.  It is a popular area for boondocking with several camping spots suitable for multiple vehicles with easy access for RVs, 5th wheels, and large campers.  Further north, several dispersed campsites with rock fire rings have outstanding views of the Superstition Mountains.

While a short trail, the one nail-biter obstacle near the north end is a steep, loose rock, narrow, washed-out hillclimb that takes you to the Saguaro-lined valley below.  Use caution on this hill.  A spotter would be helpful.

This trail is on Arizona State Trust Land.  A permit is required to recreate in this area.